Spring 2009 Climate Summary

Bismarck

Temperatures during the 2009 spring season (defined as the months of March-April-May) at the Bismarck airport averaged 39.0 degrees, which was 4.0 degrees below the 1971 to 2000 climatological average. This marked the coldest spring season since 2002. Overall, the spring of 2009 will go down in the books as being tied with the spring seasons of 1880 and 1924 for the 30th coolest on record. By far, the coldest month during the season was March, when the average monthly temperature was only 21.5 degrees.This was 8.2 degrees below the climatological average, and ranked the month as the 33rd coldest March in recorded history. The following months of April and May also proved to be on the cool side of average, but were not abnormally cold.These months were 2.1 and 1.7 degrees below average, respectively.

The daily temperatures ranged from 85 degrees on the 15th of May to a frosty -18 degrees on the 1st and on the 12th of March.There were a total of 16 days in which the mercury never broke the freezing mark.On average, this feat is achieved on only about 10 days during the spring season.Additionally, there were a total of 8 days in which overnight low temperatures fell be zero, which was above the average of 3 days typically experienced during the season.

If the cold was not enough, we had plenty of snow to go with it, especially during March.The month of March continued the record snowfall pace for Bismarck, when a total of 29.7 inches of the white stuff occurred.This amount ranked March as the 2nd snowiest in recorded history at Bismarck.The months to follow, however, only produced an additional tenth of an inch, bringing the total snowfall since November 2008 up to 100.3 inches.This rates second all time to the 1996-97 season when a total of 101.6 inches was observed.

Liquid equivalence precipitation during the season (includes the amount of rainfall, as well as the amount of rain that would have been observed if the snowfall above fell as rain) totaled 5.44 inches, which falls above the range of 3.77 to 4.83 inches typically observed during the spring season.

...THE BISMARCK ND CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE SEASON, FROM
3/1/2009 TO 5/31/2009...

Temperatures for the 2009 spring season (defined as the months of March-April-May) at the Williston airport averaged 37.9 degrees, which was 4.0 degrees below the 1971 to 2000 climatological average. This marked the coolest spring season since 2002. Overall, the spring of 2009 will go down in the books as being the 22nd coldest on record. By far, the coldest month during the season was March, when the average monthly temperature was only 20.6 degrees.This was 8.1 degrees below the climatological average, and ranked the month as the 20th coldest March in recorded history.The following months of April and May also proved to be on the cool side of average, but were not abnormally cold.These months were 1.2 and 2.7 degrees below average, respectively.

The daily temperatures ranged from 84 degrees on the 30th of May to a frosty -21 degrees on the 11th of March.There were a total of 13 days in which the mercury never broke the freezing mark.On average, this feat is achieved on only about 9 days during the spring season.Additionally, there were a total of 8 days in which overnight low temperatures fell be zero, which was above the average of 4 days typically experienced during the season.

Liquid equivalence precipitation during the season (includes the amount of rainfall, as well as the amount of rain that would have been observed if snowfall fell as rain) totaled 1.78 inches, which falls well belowthe range of 3.23 to 3.99 inches typically observed during the spring season.The driest month was March, when only 0.06 inches were observed.This ranked as the 3rd driest March in recorded history.

...THE WILLISTON ND CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE SEASON, FROM
3/1/2009 TO 5/31/2009...

Temperatures for the 2009 spring season (defined as the months of March-April-May) at the Dickinson airport averaged 37.0 degrees, which was 5.0 degrees below the 1971 to 2000 climatological average. This marked the coolest spring season since 2002. Overall, the spring of 2009 will go down in the books as being tied with the spring season of 1935 as the 17th coldest on record. By far, the coldest months during the season were March and April, when the average monthly temperatures were only 22.3 (8.1 degrees below average) and 37.6 degrees (5.2 degrees below average), respectfully. The following month of May also proved to be on the cool side of average, but it was not abnormally cold.

The daily temperatures ranged from 80 degrees on the 18th and the 30th of May to a frosty -21 degrees on the 11th of March.There were a total of 22 days in which the mercury never broke the freezing mark.On average, this feat is achieved on only about 13 days during the spring season.Additionally, there were a total of 7 days in which overnight low temperatures fell be zero, which was above the average of 5 days typically experienced during the season.

Liquid equivalence precipitation during the season (includes the amount of rainfall, as well as the amount of rain that would have been observed if snowfall fell as rain) totaled 3.65 inches, which falls just belowthe range of 3.67 to 4.50 inches typically observed during the spring season.

...THE DICKINSON ND CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE SEASON, FROM
3/1/2009 TO 5/31/2009...

Temperatures for the 2009 spring season (defined as the months of March-April-May) at the Minot airport averaged 37.4 degrees, which was 3.7 degrees below the 1971 to 2000 climatological average. This marked the coolest spring season since 2002. Overall, the spring of 2009 will go down in the books as being tied with four other spring seasons as the 28th coldest on record. By far, the coldest month during the season was March, when the average monthly temperature was only 19.9 degrees.This was 8.1 degrees below the climatological average, and ranked the month a tie with March of 1956 as the 29th coldest March in recorded history.The following months of April and May also proved to be on the cool side of average, but were not abnormally cold.

The daily temperatures ranged from 79 degrees on the 27th and the 29th of May to a frosty -16 degrees on the 1st and on the 11th of March.There were a total of 18 days in which the mercury never broke the freezing mark.On average, this feat is achieved on only about 15 days during the spring season.Additionally, there were a total of 8 days in which overnight low temperatures fell be zero, which was above the average of 6 days typically experienced during the season.

Liquid equivalence precipitation during the season (includes the amount of rainfall, as well as the amount of rain that would have been observed if snowfall fell as rain) totaled 3.37 inches, which falls just belowthe range of 3.76 to 4.71 inches typically observed during the spring season.

...THE MINOT ND CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE SEASON, FROM
3/1/2009 TO 5/31/2009...

Temperatures for the 2009 spring season (defined as the months of March-April-May) at the Jamestown airport averaged 37.0 degrees, which was 4.5 degrees below the 1971 to 2000 climatological average. This marked the coolest spring season since 2002. Overall, the spring of 2009 will go down in the books as being tied with the spring season of 1923 as the 10th coldest on record. By far, the coldest month during the season was March, when the average monthly temperature was only 19.3 degrees.This was 8.6 degrees below the climatological average, and ranked the month a tie with March of 1943 and 1952 as the 17th coldest March in recorded history.The following months of April and May also proved to be on the cool side of average, but were not abnormally cold.

The daily temperatures ranged from 83 degrees on the 31st of May to a frosty -22 degrees on the 1st of March.There were a total of 21 days in which the mercury never broke the freezing mark.On average, this feat is achieved on only about 13 days during the spring season.Additionally, there were a total of 7 days in which overnight low temperatures fell be zero, which was above the average of 5 days typically experienced during the season.

Liquid equivalence precipitation during the season (includes the amount of rainfall, as well as the amount of rain that would have been observed if snowfall fell as rain) totaled 3.58 inches, which falls belowthe range of 4.15 to 5.20 inches typically observed during the spring season.

...THE JAMESTOWN ND CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE SEASON, FROM
3/1/2009 TO 5/31/2009...